RIVERSIDE: Nutrition shop owner accused of perjury, fraud

A man who had applied for a Riverside business license to sell nutritional products was arrested Wednesday, July 10, after police said they discovered that about his only merchandise was medicinal marijuana.

Billy Kim, 26, of Corona, had applied for a license to sell ânutrition/vitaminsâ products, Riverside Sgt. David Amador wrote in a news release. Kim declared on the application that his business does not âmake medical marijuana available for medical purposesâ and signed that application under penalty of perjury.

Investigators later determined that Kim was selling marijuana and paraphernalia and nothing else from the business at 10863 Hole Ave.

Kim was arrested on suspicion of submitting a fraudulent government document, perjury, burglary and workerâs compensation fraud. He posted $25,000 bail Thursday and was released.

Detective Brian Money said in a phone interview that Kim was surprised when police didnât confiscate the marijuana. The issue, Money said, was not that Kim was selling marijuana, but that he lied on the license application about what he planned to sell.

Money recalled a similar case in late 2011. Jimmie Sutterfield claimed on his business license that he was going to operate an aviation-related company. Instead, he sold medicinal marijuana, Money said. Sutterfield in October 2012 pleaded guilty to perjury and workerâs compensation fraud. He was sentenced to three years probation and 148 days in the Riverside County Sheriffâs Department work-release program.

Anyone with information on the Kim case is asked to call Money at 951-353-7118.

Follow Brian Rokos on Twitter: @Brian_Rokos and online at blog.pe.com/crime-blotter/

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